Spindle bushing plate



$80. 28, 1928. 1,660,363 R. E. STERLING ET AL.

SPINDLE susnme PLATE Filed Feb. 26. 1924 z Sheets-$119M 1 WITNESSES if; ATTORNEY Fe'b; 28, 1928. 1,660,363

R. ,E. STERLING ET AL sPmDLE BUSHING PLATE Filed Feb. 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Z a canto-v.

W a2; afizg flaw W4 5 D Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND ELMER STERLING AND HARRY WILLIAM BOCKHOZEF, or RICHMOND, IN-' DIANA, AND ETHAN CHARLES HOPKINS, F NORWOOID, BIASSACI-IUSETTS, AS-

A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

SIGN OBS TO THE NATIONAL AUTOMATIC TOOL'COMIANY, 0F RICHMOND, INDIANA,

SPINDLE BUSHING PLATE.

Application filed. February 26, 1924. Serial No. 695,213;

This invention relates to maehine-toolsand.

, more particularly to machine-tools having a plurality of revolving spindles; suchas, for instance, multiple drilling machines.

Heretofore, difliculty has been experienced in the operation of these machines due to the spindles flexing somewhat when subjected to certain strains during the drilling operation. This flexing of the spindles redu ces the precision with which these machines are supposed to operate and has been the cause of producing imperfect work.

This inventionhas for an ,objectflto pro vide, in "machines of this type, simple and efficient means for maintaining the-spindles in their proper positions and preventing them from flexing when subjected. to the strains incident tothe workingoperation;

and also to provide means for effectively lubricating the spindle bearings which means shall require the attention of the operator 7 only at great intervals.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an essentially simple and inexpensive lubricating device which is self-acting, is sealed against leakage, and'which admits of. being very easily made to satisfy the diversified requirements ofa number of drill spindles, which must, to meet various conditions, be arranged in a great varietyof the various'ways contemplated by this in? vention, drawings depicting a preferred typical construction have been annexed'as a part of this disclosure and, in such drawings, like characters of reference denote correspending partsthroughout all the views, of

which I Fig. 1 is a side-elevation ofa portion of a multiple drilling-machine embodying the present invention- Fig. 2 islan enlarged side elevation partly in section; of a portionof Fig. -1. Fig. '8' is a horizontal sectional view takenon theline 33 of Fig/1 with a,

portion of thefreservoir cover-platebroken away better to illustrate the invention. Fig;

4 is a modification showing an alternative means for supportingthe element adapted to hold the spindles against displacement.

"Referring more particularly to the draw.- ings, the invention is shown embodied in multiple drill comprisin the usual drill-supporting head-1, mounted for Vertical bodily movement vupon a suit'able standard 2 and provided with a plurality of drill-supporting spindles 3.

In amanner common'to machines of thistype, these spindles'are'simultaneously r0 tated from a suitable. actuating shaft at and til! are held in any desired position of horizontal I adjustment by suitable spindle-arms a (of which only two are shown) adjustably securedto-the underside of the head 1..

In the drawings the spindles are. shown equally spaced andlocatedin circular formation, merely for the purposeof illustration,

but it. is to be understoodjthat they, may be adjusted to; any positions, within certain produced. A's the actuation and adjustment of the spindles isold andwell understood,

detailed illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

' The free ends of the spindles necessarily lateraldisplacenient of the spindlesand the drills carried thereby, with the resultthat the work'. produced has been more or less imperfect. I

As before stated, an tion is to'eliminate this lateral displacement,

and to that end therehas been provided, be] tween the drill-supporting head and the low er endsv 5 of the spindles, a rigid plate 6,.

preferably, but not necessarily, secured upon object of this inven depend below the spindle-arms and are subject to certain strains, during the drilling operation, which have heretofore: produced 75 limits, to' suit the nature of the work to'be e a A a rigid supporting post 7, integral with the head 1, and co-axial with the shaft 4. The plate 6 is provided with a series of apertures 8 located in any formation to suit the work to be produced and adapted to receive bushings 9 which form bearings for the lower ends of the spindles. It will be observed thatany strain applied to anyone of the spindles will, by means of the rigid plate 6, beqtransmitted to the rigid supporting post 7, wherebythe drill under strainwill V beheldagainst lateral movement. The plate dle bearings.

6 is formed in its upper face with a depression which provides a reservoir 11 for the reception of suitable lubricant for the spin Beneath the bushings?) and within suitable cavities 12 in the plate 6 are held packing rings 13 which preferably are in the form of felt washers. 14, attached by means of screws 15 to the plate 6, act to hold the packing rings in place and compress them against the spindles, thus forming oil-tight joints which prevent a leakage of the lubricant. The reservoir 11 is closed by a cover-plate 16, secured by screws 17 to the plate 6, and is provided with suitable apertures 18 for passage of the spindles 3.

I As illustrated in Fig. 4, the plate may, if desired, be carried by arms as 19 adjustably secured to the flange f of the head 1,

instead of being securedto the post 7.

From the foregoingit will be observed that there has been provided a simple and efficient means'for eliminating the strain to which the spindles are subjected; thus preventing them from lateral displacement.

Also, that applicant has provided meansffor lubricating the spindle bearings which will not require the attention of the operatoren cept at very great intervals when it is desired to renew thelubricant',

l/Vithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current know] edge, readily adapt it-for various utilizations by retaining oneor more of the features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of either the generic or specificaspec'ts of this invention, and, therefore, such adapta tions should be,-and are intended to be, com prehended within the meaning and range oi equivalency of the following. claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure the follow ing combinations and elements, or e uivalents thereof, by Letters latent o the United States:

I 1, In amultiple drillingmachine, a head providing a plurality of individual supports; a rotatable spindle carried by each support; and auxiliary means located ad- 'jacent the tool-holding ends of said spindles and providing bearings for said spindles for Cover plates holding the spindles against relative lateral movement. a

2. A machine-tool of the type described, combining a movable head provided with a multiplicity of individual supports, a rotatable spindle journaled in each support, and

means common to all of the spindles and carried by the head for holding the spindles 7 against lateral movement.

3. A machine-tool of the type described, combining a head provided with amultiplicity ofindividual supports, a rotatablespindle journaled in each support, and means comprising a rigid plate carried by said head and formed with bearings for all of the spindles for holding the spindles against lateral movement.

4. In a machine-tool of the type described, 7

a head provided with a multiplicity of individual supports,, a rotatable spindle journaled in said support, a supporting post, secured to said head, and a rlgid plate carried thereby and provided with bearings for all thespindles; said post and plate at fording means for bracing the spindles against lateral movement. v

5. In a machine-tool of the type described, a movable head, a multiplicity of individual supports adjustably mounted on said head, a

rotatable spindle journaled in each of said supports and means including a rigid plate spindles for preventing lateral displacement of any of the spindles.

6. In a'machine-tool of the type described,

. secured to thehead and cooperating with the a head, a plurality of rotatable spindles carried thereby, a rigid plate located beneath.

the head and provided with bearings for all of the spindles, a lubricant reservoir formed a in said plate and connecting said bearings and means for preventing the lubrlcant from escaping from said reservoir.

'2'. A machine-tool combining a head, a 1'0-5 tatable spindle carried thereby, a bearing for the lower end of the spindle and spaced from said head, means for lubricatingsaid ity and a bearing for said spindle, means forllubricating said bearing including a 7 ad and the end ofthe spindle and provided with a cavlubricant reservoir formed in said plate and providing the lubricant bath around the spindle, and a packingring located in said cavity for preventing the escape of lubricant from said bearing.

9. In a machine-toolof the type described,

ahead, a rotatable spindle carried thereby, a spindle bushing plate located intermediate the head and the end of the spindle and provided with a cavity and a bearing for said oil-tight joint and prevent escape of lubrispindle, means for lubricating said bearing cant from said bearing. 7 v 10 including a lubricant reservoir in said plate In Witness whereof, We have hereunto suband forming a bath of-lubricant engaging scribed our names.

the spindle a cover for said reservoir, a packing ring located in said cavity, and a cover-plate adaptedto compress said pack-v ing-ring around said Spindle to effect an RAYMOND ELMER' STERLING. HARRY WILLIAM BOCKHOFF. ETHAN CHARLES, HOPKINS. 

